This invention relates to a method of diaper manufacture and, more particularly, to a method of making "elasticized" diapers.
A method of making elasticized diapers is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,301 wherein elastic ribbons are stretched, i.e., placed under tension, adhesive applied thereto, and thereafter the adhesive-equipped, tensioned elastic ribbons are applied to a moisture impervious web. This web is then integrated with the remainder of the diaper and the continuous webs making up the diaper portion transversely cut, folded and packaged for shipment. All of this is done automatically and in continuous fashion so as to reduce the cost of the disposable diapers.
A significant drawback has attended this operation because of the application of adhesive to the elastic ribbons. The ribbons being relatively thin, have a tendency to twist which could result in imperfect attachment of the ribbons to the diaper. When this occurs, the diaper is faulty because the desired stretching for fit around the baby's leg is not achieved. Therefore, the art workers have gone to the extraordinary expedient of applying adhesive to both sides of the elastic ribbon in the hope that this would avoid the just mentioned drawback. However, this has not been successful and, as a result, the machines manufcturing diapers have to be shut down from time-to-time in order to untwist the ribbons, thereby reducing production and increasing waste causing higher cost to the consumer.
Through the provision of a novel adhesive application procedure, the instant invention avoids the problems and drawbacks of the just described diaper machine operation. More particularly, the invention makes use of an adhesive which is applied directly to the impervious web so that there is no treatment required on the elastic ribbons and twisting thereof becomes inconsequential.
Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the ensuing portion of the specification.